Stabilized nitrated starch.



ful Improvement in starch is that it isve UNITED STATES FLETCHER B.HOLMES, OF WOODBURY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE E. I. DU PONT- DENEMOURS POWDER COMPANY, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF NEWJERSEY.

srasrmznn nrrrwran s' rancn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 7, 1908..

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FLETCHER B. HOLMES, a citizen of the United States,residing at Woodbury, county of Gloucester, and State of New Jersey,have invented a new and use- Stabilized Nitrated Starch, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of my invention is to produce stable nitrated starch.

Nitrated starch may be used as an explosive itself, or preferably may beused as a component part of anex losive, such as where it is mixed withso rum nitrate, potassium nitrate, or some other oxygen carrier, with.or without the addition of other ingredients. The difiiculty .withnitrated to decomposition. on such mtrated starch decomposes, which itis liable to do at ordinary temperatures, spontaneous combustion. H

I have discovered that I can produce'a stable nitrated starch by mixingwith nitrated starch a substituted urea in which the oxygen is replacedby an inorganic radical, such as NH, thionrea, S0 NH or guanidin, NE NEOf these I prefer thiourea. In practice'the substituted urea is mixedwith the nitrated starch produced in the ordinary and well known manner.The mixing may be made in any manner to produce a goodrnixture.

unstable, being liable it becomes liable to They may be'mixed wet or dryand in any kind of a mixer. Preferably I mix the two, in a finelydivided powdered condition, in a bowl provided with stirrers or paddles.Preferably the amount of substituted urea used is from two to five percent., although larger and smaller amounts can be used with success. Ihave found three per cent. to give good results.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim and desire toprotect by Letters Patentis: 1. A stable explosive consisting of amixture of nitrated starch and a substituted urea, in which the oxygenis replaced by an inorganic radical, the latter being in such 2. Astable explosive consisting of a mixture of nitrated starch and from twoto five per cent. of a substituted urea in which the oxygen is replacedby an inorganic radical. 3'. A stable explosive consisting of a mixtureof nitrated starch and thio-urea, the latter being in such proportion asto stabilize the nitrated starch.

4. A stable explosive consisting of a mixture of nitrated starch andfromtwo to five per cent. of thio-urea.

In testimony of which invention, I have hereunto set my hand, atPhiladelphia, on this 15th day of May, 1907.

FLETCHER B. HOLMES.

Witnesses: I

M. M. HAMILTON,

E. E. WALL.

